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The 2023 F1 season was an enigma of sorts for Aston Martin. If anybody had told Mike Krack before the start of the season that the team would score as many as 8 podium finishes, he would have taken that in a heartbeat.
Well, Aston Martin did end up accomplishing that feat. Having said that, the team ended the season on the back foot because the momentum it had gained at the start of the season was completely gone. The car was easily the second-fastest at the start of the season but by the end of it, 5th-fastest was a justified placement for the car.
The 2024 F1 season is going to prove pivotal in terms of forming a clear idea of what one can expect from Aston Martin. Is it the same team that would be a regular podium contender just like it was at the start of the 2023 season? Or would it be the midfield contender just like it was in the second half of the season? Let's take a look at what we can expect from Aston Martin this season.
F1 Team Preview: Aston Martin
Outlook for 2024
The first qualifying session in Bahrain is going to answer a lot of questions about Aston Martin. Has the team finally understood how it wants to go ahead with the development direction? If it has, then the team could certainly be a player at the front of the grid fighting for the podium.
There is, however, the other side of the coin as well. The side where the team has fallen a few steps behind the top 4 and might settle itself in the midfield with the hopes of making progress during the season and catching up with the rest. At this stage, it does appear that many have reigned in the Aston Martin hype train that was running rampant in 2023 as they wait for the fruition of the million-dollar investment done by Lawrence Stroll.
Where does it fit in the pecking order?
At the moment, the safer option would be to expect Aston Martin to find itself probably a step behind the top 5 teams. The squad fell behind in terms of car development last season, and while there were races at the end of the season where it did appear that the team was getting back on its feet, it was still probably a step behind.
The team will need time to catch up with those at the front of the group and it's hard to see the winter break being sufficiently long enough to provide that time.
Driver line-up dynamics
The 2024 F1 season is going to answer a lot of questions regarding what we can expect from the team in the long run. If the team wants to be taken seriously, then it needs to find a way to let go of Lance Stroll. Stroll is a capable driver but he's just not capable enough to extract the best from the car that the team is building.
Getting a weekly thrashing from Fernando Alonso and having his place questioned by the media every race is just not what any driver likes and Stroll is no different. The team needs to show that it is a serious team and for that, it needs to find a solution for the 'Lance Stroll' problem.
